When loose setting powders were huge some years back (Actually, they still are until now!), I also jumped into the craze but never really got into it. I have a few in my stash, yes, but they are not something I would really rave about. Based on those that I have tried, from Laura Mercier to Nichido, they appear to be so-so on my skin. They set the makeup well, prevent makeup from creasing and melting, and photograph well - similar to what my compact powder foundations and setting powders do.

Althea Korea, an Korean Beauty online shop, just recently released its 1st brand product - the Althea Petal Velvet Powder. According to Althea, this loose powder has a silky finish made with pure and natural ingredients. It is housed in a pink, screw-cap tub and contains 3 grams of product.

It claims to minimize the appearance of pores and fine lines, mattify the skin without dehydrating it, set make up into a flawless finish, and control sebum. Too much for a Php210.00 worth of product, right? Let us see if it keeps up with its claims.

The powder comes out white but spreads out translucent on the skin. The micro-fine particles seeps through the pores blurring it and making the skin look flawless and smooth.

Once blended on to the skin, it gives a velvety finish smooth finish. Though my skin is relatively dry, it doesn't make it look dull and patchy. It sets makeup so well that it helps to keep it intact for long hours. It helps making the makeup look seamless too.

I love using it on its own, without any face makeup just concealer under my eyes, to blur out the pores and make my skin appear smooth and velvety. On the photo above, I used the powder just to set my concealer. I dusted it all over my face too to control the oil.

It is very lightweight so no need to worry if it is to be used to set cream or liquid makeup. In the photo below, I used it on top of a light layer of foundation. Notice how flawless it makes my skin look. Promise, the photo isn't filtered in whatever way. It may have a bit of a white cast but not that bothering.

True to its name and its claims, the Althea Petal Velvet Powder makes the skin velvety smooth. It is a must-have! Wait, have I mentioned that this only costs Php210.00 at Althea Korea? It is indeed a gem in the makeup scene. It has changed my view on loose setting powders that I tend to reach out for it more than my usual compact powders.

One wish though, I hope this will be available in huge tubs! :)

♥ Jes ♥

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Gone are days when I would have an all-nighter searching for online shops that carries the Korean products I want, wait for weeks (and even months) to have it shipped, and deal with insane price markups. When Althea Korea entered our local shores two years ago, our Korean beauty and skincare shopping experience has changed... a lot and in a much better way. With its wide range of products, crazy discounts and packages, and super fast and reliable shipping methods, everyone got hooked and until now, is addicted to shopping for Korean beauty and skincare products.

To celebrate its 2nd birthday last July, Althea Korea treated its customers with limited edition birthday boxes and tons of freebies! How generous can they be, right?

For my order, I got a huge teal birthday box and some DIY stuff to decorate it with. The lack of creativity in my system brought me to this. You may laugh now! :)

*Click the photos for better quality.

And these were the products inside:

Would you believe that I only ordered 5-6 products and most of these were freebies/gifts from Althea Korea? Again, how generous can they be?!

Obviously, I focused on skincare just like the usual. I repurchased a few while the rest were new products I am meaning to try. Let us go through them one by one, shall we?

An eye cream is a must in my skincare routine so I always make sure I have enough backups in my stash. Whenever I visit Althea Korea, the first products I check out are the eye creams. I haven't tried or even heard of the brand Milky Dress so when I saw that it has an eye cream that is unbelievably inexpensive, I immediately put it in my cart. The Wrinkle & Whitening Eye Cream(Php210.00, 15ml) claims to brighten dark circles and protect the eyelids intensively. Its light and fresh gel texture keeps moisture and elasticity of the skin for long hours. It has huge claims for its price but still, let us see how it works!

I repurchased the Elizavecca Gold CF-Nest White Bomb Eye Cream(Php 400.00, 30ml)because I love how moisturizing and hydrating it is on the under eyes. Its formulation is filled with nutritional ingredients that helps whiten and improve the condition of the under eyes. It feels light on the skin and believe me, it really does moisturize!

Just like with eye creams, moisturizers are vital in my skincare routine as my dry skin cries for hydration and moisture. I got interested with the Onsaemeein Perfect Moisture Cream(Php 340.00, 70ml) because it is dubbed to be a water magnet. It is formulated with Trehalose extracts that helps improve wrinkles and keeps water in the skin from evaporating. Interesting fact: Trehalose makes flowers and plants grow in desserts.

When I saw the It's Skin Power 10 Formula VC Effector(Php 390.00, 30ml), I knew I had to have it. It is a brightening serum enriched with Vitamin C and green tea extracts to brighten and lighten freckles and skin pigmentation. I hope this really works!

I vowed to my skin that once a week, I will deep cleanse and detoxify. I am a fan of charcoal cleansers and masks that when I saw the Black & Black Cleansing Foam(Php262.00) I got very excited. It comes with a facial brush too! It promises to makes the skin soft and healthy by discharging the dirt through deep cleansing.

And last for my purchases is the A'Pieu No Poreblem Cover Balm(Php 300.00, 25g). Based on its name, it is a face balm that covers pores and lines for a smoother texture. It also helps in keeping the oil at bay making the face look fresh.

If your day is just running around 4-5 hours of sleep max, then a caffeine fix in your system and a good concealer on your face will always be called to the rescue. Before, I am good with those two to start my day but since I am still on caffeine ban (Boo!), I am totally relying with the help of my trusty concealer to keep me looking awake and well, alive.

Luckily, thanks to genetics and being a skincare freak, I don't have much to conceal on my face. Just the usual - undereyes and few blemishes here and there. But still, having a good concealer to make the base oh-so-flawless and perfect wouldn't hurt.

I got the Missha The Style Under Eye Brightener from Althea late last year if I am not mistaken. It took me a while to write about it because I had my fair share of hits and misses with it. There were times I liked it but there were times I would toss it out of my stash just because I didn't think it was good enough for my liking.

But a few months ago I needed a concealer I can keep in my office makeup kit for emergency purposes (I am good with just brows and lips for my everyday look). Since I consider it to be a so-so concealer, I decided to put it in the kit. After a number of unexpected emergency needs which put this concealer to a test, lo and behold, I learned to love it.

Missha The Style Under Eye Brightener is housed in a tip-type packaging with a doe-foot applicator. There are only two shades available, Light Beige and Natural Beige, and I got the latter just because it appears more peachy-beige than the lighter one.

It gives a medium to heavy coverage in just a few dots, which is just about 3-4 per under eye. Be careful though as it sets quick. It sets into a powdery-matte finish so you can skip the setting powder unless that area tends to be very oily. But if your under eye area is dry, just like mine, make sure to pat on a generous amount of eye cream as this concealer has a tendency to go through the tiny lines and crevices.

The consistency of this concealer, though thicker compared to other concealers, is blendable. I noticed that it blends well with fingers than brushes or sponges. It stays on for long hours, doesn't crease, and is water-resistant.

It works great in concealing but I don't see much on its brightening effects. This can be mainly because of the shade. Natural Beige blends well on my skin that it doesn't seem to brighten my under eye area that much.

♥ Jes ♥

Jes Roque

Educator ǀ Beauty Blogger ǀ Filipina

An educator by profession and a beauty enthusiast by choice, Jes shares her thoughts on beauty and all the love in between through MakeUpLove. Hop in and get a dose of reviews, tutorials, features, expressions, and love.

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